Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Bringing On The Fear: Part 1 -- Hoodies Are NOT Recommended..

When I named this blog back, oh... 3 and a half years ago, it took me awhile to come up with something as catchy as Fascination with Fear. (Just kidding... it took about five minutes, because I really didn't imagine anyone reading it anyway - thank goodness it doesn't sound too awful.) But lately, in this floundering world of crappy horror remakes and 3D extravaganzas I've been searching for something that actually does scare me.

So instead of picking films in particular that give me chills, I decided to broaden the spectrum a bit and kind of categorize my fear. Hence, the first installment of an ongoing feature that looks into what actually alarms, panics, chills, and downright terrifies me. Though it won't always be elements of horror movies, this go-around certainly is.

First up: A covered head.

Someone wandering around with their head covered in something freaks me out. Not necessarily a mask, as we might come to that later. But for example, Jason is by and far much scarier to me in Part 2 than he is in any of the other sequels in which he wears his signature hockey mask.

So here goes:

This guy from The Strangers just gives me a major case of the willies. Maybe it's the damn tie and jacket even more than the burlap mask, but this dude has it all going on.

Seriously one of the scariest things to come out of Norway is this freak from Cold Prey.
Nice 'stache!

I'm not a fan of kids. Not just in movies, mind you. But in this movie in particular (TheOrphanage), I am freaked out to the 'nth degree by him just standing there!

Told ya. (Jason, Friday the 13th Part 2)

Weird little bastard from Trick 'r Treat wigs me out big time. More with the sack-head than his gruesome pumpkinhead. Much more so.

Ahhhhhh! Dark Night of the Scarecrow! This has the added fear luxury of standing alone out in the cornfield, scaring the bejesus out of me. More to come on that particular fright.

And yes, I know this is technically a mask, but damn! Probably has more to do with the grunting and the freaky backwoods inbred facial issues than anything else, but that facial covering.... Freaks. Me. Out. (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

And that brings us to Hostel. This poor fellow with the sack over his noggin is heading (pun intended) for a bad deal. See, it's not always the bad guy that can get under my skin.

Yes there are probably some I've forgotten no doubt but this is enough creepiness for one evening.

Nice. I would also add David Cronenbergs character in Nightbreed. Which commonly gets mistaken for the Strangers guy's mask oddly. I never gave much thought to bags over heads, but it's pretty frickin' scary. Goooood call.

Last Halloween I was home alone, not planning on going out, when someone knocked on my front door. As soon as I peeked outside I knew it was one of my good friends *but* in his effort to have a cheap, easy costume, he simply put a small pillowcase over his head and drew black X's over the eyes. It was *still* creepy as eff and gave me a second's pause.

Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent...

We Wrote That:

*Christine Hadden is the creator, editor, and head writer of the Rondo-nominated blog Fascination with Fear and has been an obsessed horror fan for longer than many of her readers have been alive. She can overlook movie plot holes in exchange for style and atmosphere, rejects both the 3D and found footage phenomenons, values high gore content when done right, always prefers practical effects over CGI, and has an undying love of vampires. She considers Norman Bates her homeboy and claims Jaws as her favorite film. She has written for Fangoria and Paracinema magazines, MoviePilot, and Eli Roth's horror app The Crypt. She enjoys Kentucky bourbon and red, red wine. But not together.

Contributing Writer

*Marie Robinson is an aspiring folklore expert, published writer, and obvious old soul from St. Louis, MO. She considers Roman Polanski one of her favorite directors, The Sentinel among the scariest of films she's seen, and has read both Algernon Blackwood and M.R. James - making her wise beyond her years. In her spare time, she enjoys wandering through misty cemeteries, seeking knowledge and proof of paranormal activity, and prepping her next frightening short story. Besides Fascination with Fear, she contributes to Destroy the Brain and has written for Eli Roth's horror app: The Crypt.